A multitude of new gins are being distilled in Goa with locally sourced botanicals and spices. Find Them Before They Go on the 2022 Cocktail Menu
In Goa, eucalyptus tea is mixed with juniper in the Himalayas and cashews on beaches and in bars. While the past two pandemic years have slowed business, and closed many bars and restaurants across the country, Goa is bustling with new ideas and launches.
Over the past two years, several homegrown gins have sprung up across the state, building on the impact made by Greater Than, Hapusa, Stranger & Sons and Jaisalmer, brands that have begun to celebrate Indian botanicals.
In 2020, Gin Jee launched its India Dry Gin with unique botanical flavors like chamomile and chamomile. Basil , It was followed by Clearly Good Gin, India’s First Blue and Vapor-Infused Gin, produced by Goa-based Shubham Khanna. The year 2021 saw several brand launches: Seqer, DOJA, Tāmras, to name a few. “Each of these has a unique story. While Sekar – from the packaging to the botanicals used – retains and boasts a Goan identity, Tamras contains sweet lime, lemon verbena, eucalyptus tea, Egyptian grapes and Indonesian There are unique botanicals like cubeb peppers. Doja is a small-batch gin with a blend of Indian and Japanese botanicals,” says Rosita Tiwari, a certified beverage professional, educator and consultant.
Today, customers, bartenders and restaurants in India can choose from around 11 indigenous gins from Goa, most of which are priced competitively between ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 for a 700-750ml bottle. The reason for this sudden explosion can be attributed not only to the growing popularity of the sentiment, but also to the conducive business environment for the pilot launch in the state.
A chance question about Indian gins by a bartender in London prompted Devika Bhagat and Khaleel Bachuali, founders of Tamras, Gin, to set up their own distillery – The Adventurist Spirits Distillery, in Colvale, North Goa – Contract Bottling Instead of going for “It is a 1,000 square meter space where we experiment, test, distill, mix and bottle and is an experience center for tours and tastings,” says Devika. Our distilled blend, resting between additions. This allows the flavor molecules to remain intact, so we’re perfect for sipping clean. ,
“Gin is being made primarily by the millennials to come, who want the business practices to be straightforward,” says Devika. “Goa government and excise department are supportive of new brands and distilleries. Excise licenses are also reasonable and there is no reduction in your set-up cost and initial investment.
familiar flora
Adriel Sequera, founder of Sekar Gin, believes that gin is the most versatile of all spirits and offers immense potential. Seqér gin is a blend of 10 botanicals, including one synonymous with Goan: cashew. These are sourced locally from within the distillery premises. Cashew was chosen not only as a tribute to Goa and its beloved Feni By this proudly local brand, but at the same time to give the gin a distinct texture. Notes are light and herby, and the final product offers hints of cardamom and orange peel, while on the nose, juniper, nutmeg and rosemary predominate. ,
If local cashews are what make Sekar stand out, then the distillation and dilution process of tamarind is its USP. “We use multiple distillations and a slow-dilution/disaponification process,” explains Devika. their vegetation includes seasonal (sweet lime), Indian mint (Mint), lotus flowers and lotus seeds. Devika says they are one of the few fruits in the world that uses fresh whole citrus fruits. “Individually by Distillation” seasonalIndian lemons and grapes, we can meet our needs for the whole year in those four winter months when these fruits are harvested.
Spicy Cocktail
Indian spices contribute as much to these commodities as botanicals. Doja’s founder Jai Anand, who opted for Indo-Japanese collaboration to further his Craft Gin vision, believes that Indian spices such as fennel, coriander, green cardamom and Himalayan peppermint can enhance the flavor of Japanese botanicals such as yuzu lemon. help increase. With hints of cedarwood, sansho pepper and hinoki. His Japanese master distiller Tsui San determined which Indian spice base matches the Japanese botanicals at his Goa-based East Side distillery.
“Gins should have juniper as their primary aroma, followed by the unique botanicals the distiller wants to showcase,” explains Rosita. She adds, “Juniper doesn’t matter as much as the botanicals, which play a major role in defining gin. Unless it’s a juniper-forward gin such as Hapusa, juniper normally acts as a base fragrance. does.”
Raksha Dhariwal, Partner, Passcode Hospitality in Delhi says, “With beach pings, jamuns and now Saaz in Goa in the last one year, we have seen people love trying out new gins. Gins like Greater Than and Stranger & Sons are doing great, but they’ve been around for a while and garnered a huge following. Pumori, Tamras and Doja are also becoming popular.”
From being declared one of the eight best gins in the world by the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2020 to winning the highest honor at The Asian Spirit Masters 2021, Stranger & Sons has managed to put Indian gin on the world map. Hapusa, a Himalayan dry gin from Now Spirits produced and distilled in Goa, also won a gold medal at the prestigious The International Wine and Spirits Competition 2021.
In an effort to capture the attention of customers in the crowded market, brands are hosting gin-fuelled events across Goa. In November 2021, Perry Road Peru, by Stranger & Sons Gin, (a limited edition distilled bottled cocktail) recently hosted dinner in association with The Tamil Table in Goa and Bombay Canteen at The Courtyard in Bengaluru.
The Himalayan takeover by Hapusa, held in Goa in November 2021, celebrated Himalayan ingredients – edible camphor, earl gray tea, cardamom and timbur. Cocktails were created using these, using hapusa, camphor, tonic and kaffir lime leaf from Forest Trail, for a refreshing Earl of the Himalayas, flavored with Earl Gray tea.
,